362ci Dirt Late Model Engine Rebuild - Part 2

When we left SRE Engine Techniques, our 362 was stripped down to a short-block. The oil pan was removed and we took a quick look at the rotating assembly, but didn’t have the time to really dive into it. Since then, Steve Rolenc has pulled everything apart and taken a more in depth look at each of the components.

Knowing what we have, and looking at our goals makes picking new components (if necessary) easier. Judging from how old the components looked, we know we will be replacing the majority of the rotating assembly. With an engine this old, it’s a good idea to replace the pistons. Judging by the markings on the connecting rods, two sets were put together to make one set, and who knows if they are even close to each other in terms of weight. Looking at all of this, it’s pretty safe to say that the entire rotating assembly will be replaced.

If we were shackled by a tight budget, which many racers are, much of the rotating assembly could be reused. The downside to reusing the components we pulled out of the engine is that we don’t know the history of everything. Being that the engine was bought as a “freshened” piece, we don’t know how much time is actually on it. We do know that the crankshaft has had some weight added and removed in the name of balancing, and it was not exactly pretty. On the bright side, the engine ran well for what it looked like on the inside. It didn’t make anywhere near the 710 horsepower it was said to make at the time of purchase, but some engine builders have been known to inflate horsepower numbers.

We are going to skip a month with our 362 build to allow some time to gather the needed parts, but in the next writing we will be machining parts and starting the test fitting process. Race season will be here before you know and we plan on hitting the track as soon as possible with our reborn 362ci Dirt Late Model engine. In the meantime, checkout what we found in the rotating assembly.

23/2322. The decision hasn’t been made yet, but we’ll most likely ditch this crankshaft for a lighter piece.